The Wanderer: A Fallout 4 Fanfiction
by average-goddamn-jack
Summary: My first attempt at Fan Fiction. It follows Ash, Dogmeat and Piper Wright, and their Commonwealth adventures. Contains F!Survivor x Piper Wright (Fallout 4)
1. Chapter 1

_Well I'm the type of guy, who likes to roam around..._

The music from Diamond City Radio played from Ash's Pipboy. She sang out loud as she roamed aimlessly throughout the dilapidated ruins of Boston Common. She heard the scampering of a mole rat, bumbling towards her with it's awkward and round pink body. She drew his pistol and put it down, still singing. Ever since thawing out of Vault 111, Ash had just been doing odd jobs here and there, never really staying in one place too long. She had only stayed in Sanctuary Hills for a few days to have Codsworth catch her up on everything that had occurred, then she moved on.

She never really connected with anyone in the places she ever stayed. She felt like an outsider, an alien in a world she was completely new to. It only took her one time to realize that if you didn't shoot first, then you probably wouldn't shoot again. When she was ignorant to the gangs of raiders that now controlled the streets of Boston, she walked through them with her guard down. A raider who was luckily a very poor shot, clipped her on arm and the ear before she managed to escape. She vowed to never let that happen again.

Her now very, very torn vault dweller outfit was barely holding together under the assorted pieces of armor that she had "borrowed" from raiders that would no longer be needing them. Her faithful companion, Dogmeat, was happily jogging beside her, when the German Shepherd halted, and pointed directly to the left of where they were standing.

"Oh no, not this again." Dogmeat cocked his head to look at Ash. "You know what I mean. Last time you pointed like that, you lead me straight into a lair of super mutants. Do you know how long it took to get the splinters from that huge board out of my back?" Dogmeat whined and began running to where he was pointing. "Ugh. Fine, but if it's more mutants I swear you're taking the splinters out of yourself." Ash begrudgingly followed her furry companion.

Dogmeat slowed as he approached. He looked up and then sat down right in front of Ash who tripped and fell on top of him.

"You fuzzy, adorable asshole." He licked her face. "Soooo does not make up for that." Ash pushed herself to her feet. "Alright, what did you want me to see?"

"Look here fellas!" Ash her a voice call from the other side of a makeshift wall that covered one of Boston's many back alleyways. "We got ourselves a hot one! She's a reporter too! We're gonna be the next big story!" It sounded like raiders.

"Lemme go you pricks!" A female voice reached Ash's ears. It sounded vaguely familiar. Perhaps someone from Diamond City or Goodneighbor. "Diamond City Security is coming for me right now! I've got a chip implanted in me so they can find me anywhere!" Ash chuckled out loud to herself. _Someone's in a little over their head._

"Yeah… right ohh I'm shaking in my boot here… Ow! What the fuck man she bit me!" There was a chuckle from the voice of the captive then a smacking sound followed by the female voice yelling profanities at her captors.

Ash looked to Dogmeat. "Time to rescue us a damsel in distress huh boy?" He gave a sharp bark in reply.

"You got some serious balls lady, and I mean probably even bigger than mine and I've got some big ass balls, but honestly what the hell did you think you were going to accomplish coming out onto our turf? You got a death wish or something?" A gruff male voice asked. Ash approached the heavy door slowly.

"Oh ya know, just taking a nice walk and taking in the beautiful sites of Boston Common. Was maybe gonna stop by the library. Until I was interrupted by you strapping young assholes." The female voice dripped heavily with sarcasm. There was the sound of movement from the other side but Ash couldn't make out what was going on. She approached the door, and banged loudly on it with her laser rifle she had acquired from a fallen Brotherhood of Steel knight. She banged it loudly on the door. _Subtlety was never my strong suit._

"This is Diamond City Security." Ash boomed as loud as she could. "Release the hostage, we have you surrounded. Deliver her safely outside this door and you shall be spared. Failure to comply will result in your instant vaporization"

"HA! I told you assholes! Now let me go before you get vaporized!" The reporter yelled, and then added softly "Holy shit, I'm so good at lying my lie became the truth."

Ash heard a raider clear his throat. "How do we know you're not bluffing?" Ash kicked the door open and blasted the nearest raider with her laser rifle.

"That proof enough for you?" Ash smirked. Dogmeat growled and leaped onto another raider.

"Don't just stand there!" A woman in a rusty metal assorted suit of armor yelled as a raider nearby her was disintegrated. "KILL THAT BITCH!" Ash ducked behind a wall. She saw the brunette reporter roll behind a crate. Ash switched on the V.A.T.S on her Pipboy to survey the area. The screen showed two raiders on the balcony and four on the floor she was on. She heard a snarl from Dogmeat and a yell from a raider. Three on her floor.

She leaned out from her cover and took a shot at the woman on the balcony. She clipped her in the arm. She took a second shot at the man near her. He was disintegrated. The raider woman fired a shot that ricocheted off of Ash's metal arm guard. Ash fired back and took out the raider. She helped Dogmeat finish off the others.

The raiders were dealt with, so Ash moved to the reporter still huddled behind a crate. She propped herself up and finally jiggled her hands free of the restraints.

"Well, you sure are the cutest security officer I've met." The reporter said. "Oh wow I just said that. I was not supposed to say that out loud. That was supposed to stay as a thought okay um moving on, thank you for your timely rescue. I'm Piper Wright, editor and writer and publisher of Diamond City's best, and only, newspaper Publick Occurrences." She put out a hand.

"Nice to meet you Piper, I'm Ash." Ash shook the reporter's hand. _And you are definitely the cutest person I've ever rescued._

"So, if your outfit is any indicator, you're not with Security. So, why are you out here? And why did you decide to come to my rescue?" Piper questioned.

"You can thank Dogmeat for that. Never would've found you if not for him." Dogmeat came trotting up beside Ash. Piper barely contained a squeal as she bent down to pet him. "What were you doing out here all alone, without a gun?" Ash inquired.

"I have a gun, they were just better at using theirs." She explained. "Which reminds me, one of them got me pretty good, would you happen to have a Stimpak I could borrow?"

"Sure." Ash tossed the reporter the healing device.

"Thanks." She injected it into herself. "Much better. Well, it was real nice meeting you Ash, but I gotta get back to Diamond City. But hey, next time you're in town, stop by. It'd be awesome to get an interview with a Vault Dweller. Get an inside scoop to what the vaults are really like."

"How did…"

"You're still wearing the jumpsuit."

"Right."

"Next up on Diamond City Radio, we have the Ink Spots, with 'I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire." Tyler the host's voice came from the radio Ash forgot she still had playing. The music began.

"Hope to see you around Blue. I'd love to see your face again. I mean.. I would.. uh.. love to... do you.. no! I mean the interview, I'd.. umm.. I gotta go." Flustered, Piper Wright walked as quickly as she could, trying to make herself look not flustered, and failing miserably.

"Blue huh?" Ash said to herself. She patted Dogmeat on the head. "What do you say boy? Should we go for the follow up interview?" He barked. "Yeah. I thought she was cute too."


	2. Chapter 2

_Where pretty girls are, you know that I'm around…_

Ash worked her way back towards the fortress of a city that was Diamond City, followed closely by her furry companion Dogmeat. She had let the reporter get a bit of a head start before beginning her own trip back. She couldn't seem too eager to meet back up with her. No, Ash knew how the game went. She thought back to her days before the bombs dropped. She had been notorious for being an outrageous flirt whenever she went out. Much to the disapproval of her late husband Nate.

"Ah Nate. You always were the jealous type. I thought it was cute, the way you'd swoop in and make sure whoever I was talking to knew I was taken." She said quietly to herself. She was saddened by the sudden thought of her deceased husband. She shook her head to try and sent the thoughts away and kept moving. She looked up and saw the top of Fenway Park's "Green Monster" and knew she was approaching the city.

Upon reaching the gates, Ash happened upon a peculiar, and pretty comical, scene taking place outside the gates.

"Danny, open this gate up right now! I live here, you can't lock me out. What the mayor is scared of a reporter? He can't handle the truth? Ohhhh nooo look out for big bad Piper, coming to destroy the city with her newspaper." Piper Wright stood at the gate, talking loudly into an intercom, making large motions with her arms as she spoke. In the mimicking voice she added "You know I even heard rumors that she was a synth, sent by the institute to take control of Diamond City." Once again, her voice was heavy with sarcasm.

"Look Pipes I want to.." A voice started to reply but was cut off.

"Ohhh don't you 'Pipes' me Danny. I am not going to be..." She must've heard the approaching footsteps as she turned to see Ash approaching her. "Umm hold please." She said to the intercom. She moved to Ash. "Well, someone's eager for an interview."

Ash smirked. "Looks like I'm a bit out of luck if you can't even get into the city." Ash stated.

"Oh that? Between you and me, Mayor kinda has a stick up his ass, and doesn't like it when you write the truth. You know how politics goes." She raised her voice when she said "write the truth" so the intercom could hear it.

"Well, from what I heard, it sounded like you definitely had it under control." Ash blew some of her red hair out of her face. "You want me to have a talk with him?" Ash offered.

"Actually, I have an idea." Piper's face lit up. "We'll say you're with a caravan, got loads of supplies. They'll have to open the gates. Oh Danny!" She moved back to the intercom before Ash had a chance to even reply. "You won't even open the gate for a caravan, loaded with food and weapons to trade?"

"Yeah right Piper, like I'm gonna believe dat. 'Sides I got my orders, gate stays shut." Danny said in a heavy Boston accent. Piper turned to Ash and gave her a look of 'c'mon help me out here'.

Ash sighed and shook her head. Moving to the monitor she said "Yeah, we got a lot of supplies we gotta get rid of out here. The brahmin are getting tired and we need caps." She looked to Piper who gave her two thumbs up.

There was the sound of movement from the other side and indistinct conversation could be heard. Then, Danny's voice saying "Fine. Gates coming up. This betta' be legit Pipes."

The gate began to slowly rise. Piper looked to Ash and went quickly to the gate, ducking under it before it reached the top. She flashed a smile at Danny and uttered "Don't call me Pipes" and walked towards the city. "You coming Blue or what? Wouldn't want that pretty face of yours to be used as mutants punching bag." Piper said loudly over her shoulder.

"Wow Piper you really know how to compliment a woman." Ash said loudly back.

Ash walked in after her and the just shrugged in Danny's direction. "She always like that?" She inquired.

"Usually. Ya ain't with a caravan are ya?"

"Nope." Ash smiled and followed Piper into the city. She could get used to that.

Ash stood at the entrance with Dogmeat close behind. She surveyed the converted ballpark and remembered the days she spent watching the Red Sox play. She was familiar enough with the city itself, she had taken odd jobs here and there from citizens, gathering paint for the wall, even helping Nick Valentine solve a case. She had never stayed more than two nights in the place. The smell of the beds in the Dugout Inn could only be tolerated for so long.

Ash descended the steps into the city and was greeted by a young girl on a crate, yelling about the newest issue of Publick Occurrences.

"Hey you! Redhead lady, you want a copy of the latest edition? It's got the latest scoop on kidnappings and the Institute." The loud little brunette inquired of her.

"Kidnappings?" Ash asked.

"Oh yeah, it's the insitute. They're taking people and turning them into synths." The girl said excitedly. "The Mayor is denying everything, but all of the evidence points to it!" She exclaimed.

"Nat! Not so loud. You want Security to come and take you in?" The voice of Piper Wright came from the doorway into the Offices of Publick Occurrences.

"But Piper the city needs to know the truth!" Nat argued. "Also, the printer broke while you were gone. Again." She added the last word with a very large hint of annoyance.

"I know, but we've had enough trouble over the past couple of weeks. So, just keep it on the down low until this whole Mayor business blows over." Piper told her.

Nat groaned. "Fine. Have it your way." She turned back to Ash. "Here, have a copy on the house." She handed her the paper and hopped off her crate and ran off.

"I see the reporter blood runs in the family." Ash said holding up the newspaper.

"What can I say? She takes a lot after her big sis." Piper replied. "You wanna come inside? We could do that interview I know you're so eager to do." Dogmeat barked happily in reply.

"Well, I think that settles it" Ash laughed and followed Piper into the office.

The office/home of Piper Wright was about as Ash had expected. There was a couple of desk full of loose papers and recorders. Holotapes littered desks and the floor around them. There were a couple of sleeping mats near the back of the room, and there was a couch sitting the middle with a tv that definitely did not work, sitting in front of it on a couple of cinder blocks. Piper sat on the couch and lit a cigarette.

"Isn't life in the Commonwealth short enough?" Ash asked not really expecting an answer.

"What can I say? Old habits die hard?" Piper replied, setting the cigarette in the ashtray next to her. "Let's get started shall we?" Piper inquired with a hint of excitement as she got out a pen and paper. "Obvious first question, what was life in the Vault like?"

"Cold." Ash answered. Piper cocked her head in confusion. "The Vault I was in was apparently an experiment on the effect of long term cryogenic stasis. I was frozen in a pod shortly after I entered the Vault." Ash explained.

"After you… entered the Vault? That would mean.." Piper visibly put the pieces together. "Oh my God."

Ash smirked. "Yeah. I am over 200 years old."

"Well, you look incredible for your age." Piper smiled and said to Ash.

"Well, you don't look too bad yourself." Ash replied, making Piper blush.

Piper regained herself. "So you remember what life was like before the bombs? You know what this place used to look like?" She asked. barely containing her excitement of finding a pre-war relic.

"Yeah. I lived up in Sanctuary Hills. I had a husband, Nate. I had recently graduated Law School. We had a white picket fence, a brand new car, the whole nine yards."

"Nine yards? Why would you need nine yards?" Piper inquired, utterly confused.

Ash forgot how incredibly outdated that figure of speech was. "It's a figure of speech. A very, very old figure of speech."

"What did people do back then? I can't imagine it was shootouts and raider attacks in pre-war Boston." Piper asked.

"Well, I used to love to go out to the bars. I was never a heavy drinker, I just loved the social scene. All the interesting conversations, and interesting people I'd meet." Ash answered.

"Nowadays, the only people you meet want to either kill you or sleep with you. Well, for me at least." Piper remarked.

"Can't say I blame them for wanting the second thing." Ash said softly, with a smile. Piper turned beet red. _Maybe a bit direct, but hey. It's the apocalypse._

Piper cleared her throat. "Wow umm is it hot in here? Ummm where were we?" Ash smiled watching Piper regain herself. She was cute when she got flustered. "So, what did you do after you thawed?" Piper finally asked.

"I went home. Went to see what was left of the town. It was in ruins. It was crazy how similar and catastrophically different everything was from the day the bombs dropped."

Piper rubbed the back of the pen against the temple of her head. "So, you saw the bombs drop?" Piper's voice was soft.

"Yeah. It was terrifying. Horrible. I just remember running out of the house with Nate following. Everyone was afraid. Everyone was had to get to the Vault. We just got to the elevator when the first bomb hit. The sound was, deafening, the light was blinding. Everyone was terrified. The elevator descended and that's the last memory I have of the world before. We got in, they put us in these jumpsuits and led us to the pods. My pod malfunctioned, and some emergency protocol kicked in and thawed me. All the systems malfunctioned. The stuff just wasn't built to last two hundred years. Nate's pod… everyone's pod… I was the only one who made it out." Ash finished the story and looked up at Piper. She hadn't even written anything down. She just sat there, shocked, trying to process everything that had just been said to her.

"Ash… I'm so sorry. I… I don't know what to say." Piper said softly, moving her hand to Ash's leg.

"It's okay." Ash replied, looking to Piper. "Not the interview you expected?"

"About the farthest things from what I expected actually. I don't know what I expected. Vaults that freeze people for thousands of years was not what I was expecting. I thought that they were supposed to help people? To protect them?" Piper inquired rhetorically.

"Me too. But we were just part of their experiment. It cost a lot of people their lives." Ash said looking down at the ground.

"Well hey, to wrap this whole thing up, do you have anything at all that you want to say to the readers?" Piper asked.

Ash thought for a second. _Inspirational? Humorous? No Comment?_ Then it came to her.

"No matter how terrible a situation may seem, there's always something good that can come out of it. You just gotta wait it out, and it'll come to you. Or you to it. Either way, even in the apocalypse, there's still something out there for you." The words flooded out from Ash. "Just look at us. Brought together by a frozen pod, a couple of nukes, and a raider with one boot. There's always a silver lining." Ash smiled at Piper.

"That was amazing Blue. I didn't know you had it in ya. The people will love this. This'll be our biggest hit… why are you smiling at me like… oh… ohhhh… that last part you said was about…" Once again, the reporter blushed uncontrollably.

"Is… Is it hot in here?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Guys! Sorry this chapter took so long to write. School started and I've had a lot of ideas swirling around and now's the first time I've had to really sit down and get this chapter done so here it is! Hope you enjoy!**

 **-Jack.**

 _They call me the Wanderer, yeah, the Wanderer, I roam around around around around around_

"So can I buy you a drink?" He was tall. The plainest face that Ash had seen in her life. Whether he had gotten that haircut on purpose, or if he was just losing his hair, Ash couldn't say. She was sitting alone on a barstool in a bar she had never been to. She had just taken the bar exam that morning and was exhausted. So, she was definitely not in the mood for this tonight. She ran her hand through her ponytail out of habit and turned to face her unwanted companion.

"No thanks. I'm fine." She turned her attention back to the football game that she hadn't been paying attention to before this man had stumbled up to her bar stool.

"Oh? Wha..? Am I not good nuff for you or sumthen?" He slurred barely coherent.

"Yes actually, you are not. Leave." With everything that had happened that day, all Ash wanted was a stiff drink and some peace and quiet.

"Ohhhhh lookie here, this one's got a mouth on her." He drooled as he spoke.

 _Yeah. Just say one more thing asshole, see where it gets you._ Ash tried to contain herself. She stayed silent. Until the balding man grabbed her arm.

"Hey I'm talkin' to... " Ash dropped him with a punch to the nose. He fell, taking several stools and chairs with him. She looked around the now suddenly silent bar. One black haired man, who looked to about Ash's age, was smirking, barely containing laughter. She dropped a twenty on the counter and exited out into the swirling snow of outer Boston.

She basically fell into the driver's seat of her small compact car and, as quick as she could, left the parking lot of the bar. She wasn't focused, her mind was swirling with thoughts of the bald man and worries of if she just ruined her law career by letting her emotions overtake her. These thoughts were quickly interrupted by an unseen ice patch, which caused her to lose control and end up in a ditch less than a mile outside of the city.

"Of course. Of course this would happen today." She threw her head back and yelled at the roof of her car. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw headlights. She quickly exited the car and ran to the road. She saw a truck pull over and stop near where she had entered the ditch. The black haired man from the bar exited.

"You seem to be a better boxer than a driver." He said with that same smirk she had seen in the bar.

"Cute." Ash replied back. _Like you._ "Could you help me out here?" She saw the man move to the back seat of his truck and pull out a tow rope.

"I think so. You're in pretty deep." He told her.

"A very astute observation." Ask replied sarcastically. He smiled at her.

He crouched down and tried to attach the rope beneath her car. "So. Come here often?" Ash smiled and shook her head. He got up and attached the rope to his car and pulled hers out of the snow filled ditch. A wave of relief rushed over Ash.

"Thank you so much." She hugged him. _Jeez, just throw yourself at the guy._

"No problem. Name's Nate by the way."

"Nice to meet you Nate. I'm Ash."

Ash jolted awake and sat straight up, waking the sleeping Dogmeat next to her. _Just a dream. Fuck._ She was sitting on a couch inside Piper Wright's home in Diamond City. She tried to recall everything that had happened. She remember the interview, the flirting, and then she remembered Piper offered her the couch for the night. She had gladly accepted. She looked down to her furry companion who stared at her with his head cocked. She ran her hands through her hair and got up. "Come on boy." She whispered, and exited Piper's house.

 _Ash what are you doing. Yeah, okay, cute reporter. She's funny and nice to talk to, but you can't be serious can you? What about Nate? Are you really ready to move on from that?_ She didn't have an answer for herself. She needed some air. She needed to shoot something, get her mind straight. She called to Dogmeat who was sniffing around Takahashi's noodle stand. Together they exited Diamond City.

Ash sang along to "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Roy Brown as she shoot down a mutant hound with her laser rifle. She saw two huge super mutants that had began to charge at her. She saw a flashing light and her a loud beeping coming from the mutant on the right. _Uh oh. Think fast Ash._ She fired a blast at the arm that held the beeping bomb. The shot hit and both muties were blown sky high. She smirked to at the remains. She heard Dogmeat growl. She spun around and gasped. Coming down the road was a group of what looked to be Gunners, who were the best equipped mercs in the wasteland. And they all had their guns pointed at Ash. She quickly found cover behind an overturned car. She looked over to Dogmeat. "Hey boy. Go back to Diamond City. Get help. I'll be okay." The Gunners began to shoot. "Go. Get help." Dogmeat looked at her and whimpered. He wanted to stay and help. But after more of Ash's pleading, he left and ran of the city.

Ash was pinned behind a blown up car. They were getting closer. _Okay. What the hell do I do now?_ She popped up from cover and fired a shot that barely missed a Gunner clad in combat armor.

"Come on lady you don't have a chance. Just come on out." She heard an oddly familiar voice.

"We won't kill you. Yet." Ash stepped out from behind the car. She looked at the group of Gunners that were led by a ghoul. A ghoul with the plainest face that Ash had ever seen. _No. No way. I have a dream about this prick and now here he is? The universe is not happy with me today._

"No fucking way." The ghoul said with an evil smile. "How the hell are you still here? My nose was never the same after that punch. Hell of a right hook for a broad."

Ash couldn't help herself. "What nose?"

That was the wrong thing to say. "Grab her. We're taking her back to base. I'm sure someone will pay good caps for her. And don't be so gentle this time." He turned away from her. She had a snarky and sarcastic comment ready to go, but it was cut off by a fist connecting with her nose, and she was out.

Dogmeat scratched furiously at Piper's door. The door was opened by a drowsy Nat who looked curiously down at the German shepherd who sat at the door. "Ummm Piper?" Nat called.

"What's up Nat? What was making all of that noise?" Piper reached the door. "Dogmeat? What are you doing here? Where is Ash?" Dogmeat whined and barked. "Oh no." Piper said quietly.

"What you speak dog now?" Nat questioned.

Piper was already throwing on her red trench coat. "No. But I think I got the message. Stay here little sis. If you need anything, go to Nick. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Where are you going?" Nat yelled after Piper, who was running for the gates.

Piper turned to her younger sister. "To return a favor." And with that, Piper Wright once again left Diamond City. This time following Dogmeat.

Ash came to inside what looked to be a Slocum's Joe Coffee Shop. _This is where the mighty Gunners set up shop?_ She almost laughed, but the pain in her nose and the angry stare of her guard stopped that before it came out. Her arms were tied behind her as well as her legs. They had not gagged her though. _They'll regret that. I don't intend to die silent. I also don't intend to be killed by baldy over there._ She tried to think of a way out of her very unfortunate situation.

She hoped that maybe Dogmeat had somehow got some help on was on his way to rescue her. But she had to assume that she was on her own in this one.

She was in the middle of planning when she saw her ghoulish captor reenter the building. She couldn't think of any way to get herself untied. And even if she did, she was unarmed and surrounded by at least seven Gunners. _Let's see you talk yourself out of this one._

The plain-faced ghoul approached her. "So. Come here often?" He said with a villainous smirk.

"Wow. Some Muties had a really bad day here." Piper noted, glancing at the remains of the two mutants that had been blown to bits by their own bomb. Dogmeat was sniffing around the area that he had last seen Ash crouching behind a car. "You smell something? Any idea where they went?" Dogmeat continued to search for a scent. He suddenly pointed and ran to a sport where a bandana had fallen. He sniffed it and then pointed down the road.

"Wha…? I hear something! Maybe another puny human has come!" A super mutant could be heard from the other side of the building nearest to Piper.

"I doubt that that's a friendly voice. Come on boy." Dogmeat ran ahead with Piper in tow, after the scent that Piper hoped was Ash's.

"So. How the hell are you still alive? It's gotta have been, what, 200 years at least, since you broke my nose in that shit hole bar. My nose was permanently crooked after that." He sat on the counter Ash was tied up behind.

"Suppose it doesn't matter anymore. Looks like that nose has been gone for a while." Ash took a knee of her chest. _Yeah. Not your best work there Ash_...

"Yeah. Keep that up. See where that gets you. Now. Hell the hell are you here and not a ghoul?" He asked, not sounding like he was in the mood for anymore sarcasm.

"I know a good dermatologist?" Ash offered. Another knee to her gut.

"How long you gonna keep this up?" He asked, voice starting to fill with fury.

"I don't know, but those weak blows are not going to coax anything out of me. God, 200 years and you couldn't hit the gym once?" Ash's sarcasm once again was getting the better of her. She was answered by a heavier blow this time. The air left her body and she coughed, trying to catch her breath.

"Fuck this. You probably ain't the bitch I'm thinking of anyways. No way that she's somehow still around." He said angrily and hopped off the counter and began to walk away.

Ash, needing the last word as always, yelled after him in fake slurred voice "Oh? Wha..? Am I not good nuff for you or sumthen?"

"Gag her. I'm sick of hearing from her." He said without turning around.

 _Good job. Always have to have the last word. Couldn't have just played nice one time._

"Wait up! You got four legs and a head start this isn't fair!" Piper yelled after Dogmeat. "Well this is a wakeup call to start working out if I've ever seen one." Piper said to herself. Dogmeat turned, barked once at Piper, and then continued to running down the street. He skidded to a halt and Piper nearly tripped over him. "Oof. A little warning next time? Like a 'hey Piper we're here? That too much to ask?" Dogmeat ignored her. He was intently staring at the Slocum's Joe coffee shop. There were two armed guards out front.

"So. She's in there huh? Surrounded by the best trained and best equipped gang in the Commonwealth? Of course." She fell back down beside Dogmeat. He looked at her with his head cocked. "So what's your plan?" Piper inquired of the dog. When she received no answer from him she got to thinking herself.

"Alright. Well. This plan is more than likely going to definitely end in my death, but it's the only plan I've got. I'm going to walk up to the front and try to distract the two guards at the front. I'll improvise something. Now, while I'm doing that, there's a back entrance, like for workers and stuff, well at least that's what it used to be, anyways, you'll go in through there and try to find Ash. Once I've taken out the guards and you've gotten Ash, you'll take her out the way you came in, and we'll be home free. Got that all?" Piper concluded, seeming to say all of that in one breath. To her surprise Dogmeat nodded. He sighed in relief. "Good boy. Okay. Here we go."

Piper approached the entrance. Immediately the guards pointed their guns at her. "Wait! Don't shoot!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah? And why not?" The woman on the right asked.

 _Hmm. I didn't think I'd get this far._ "My name is Piper Wright, with Publick Occurrences, and I'm doing a piece on the local mercenary groups of the Commonwealth. In a recent interview, I asked the L &L gang about the Gunners and they replied 'the Gunners? Those punk ass bitches couldn't take us in a fight if we all had our hands tied. They ain't shit.'" Piper took a breath, pulled out a pen and paper and asked "Care to respond?" _There's no way. I'm so dead._

The guards looked at each other. "The L&L said that? Those fuckers! You tell them…" They went off about how horrible the L&L gang was and Piper began to furiously copy down everything they said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dogmeat move quickly to the back. _I can't believe that that just worked. But we're far from out of this yet._

Dogmeat pushed the door open with his snout and entered slowly. There were five Gunners inside that he could see. He snuck behind the counter. He saw Ash bound and gagged. The only Gunner facing towards Ash was her guard who was asleep. Dogmeat quietly moved towards her. Her eyes grew huge as she saw him.

 _How in hell…? He actually got help? Good boy._ She smiled through her gag. Dogmeat ripped her restraints. Ash removed the gag herself and moved to her sleeping guard. He had a Combat Rifle on him. _This'll do nicely._ She took it and shoot her sleeping guard. Everyone turned.

"How the fuck…" The bald ghoul was cut off by a bullet hitting him in the chest. He fell, but wasn't dead yet. "Kill the bitch!" He coughed up some blood.

The Gunners opened fire and Ash fell behind the counter. _Here we go again._

The gunfire from inside the shop startled the guards and Piper as she was still writing down their angry rant. When the shots started they both spun around.

"What the fuck is going on?!" The man yelled. Piper saw her chance. She grabbed the double barrel shotgun out of the distracted man's hand and fired a shell into each of the guards before they knew what had happened.

"Thanks for the interview guys. I'm sure it'll be a hit in the next issue." Piper said and ran to the back entrance of the shop. She joined Ash behind the counter.

"Piper?! What the hell are you doing here?" She yelled over the gunfire.

"You can thank me once we get out of this." She said and stood up and fired a shot and crouched back down. Ash popped up and fired a few shots, taking down two of the Gunners. "How many are left?" Piper asked.

"Two or three?" Ash guessed. They heard snarling and a yell, and the sound of Dogmeat barking. "One less now." Dogmeat took care of the last Gunner and all that was left was the bald ghoul who was still laying on the floor.

"200 years and you're still not good enough for me." Ash told him and then fired one last shot into him.

"Wait, you knew that guy?" Piper asked dumbstruck.

"Yeah. I broke his nose in a bar 200 years ago. He held one hell of a grudge." Ash laughed and hugged Piper. "Oh my god, I've never been so happy to see someone. I could just kiss you right now Piper."

"Well that would be one way to thank me." Piper replied with a smile looking up at Ash.

Ash softly moved some of Piper's black hair out of her face and pressed her lips against hers. Piper seemed surprised but didn't pull away. Ash held the kiss as long as she dared and then pulled away. Piper's eyes opened wide. She smiled and looked away with rosy cheeks.

Ash smiled at the suddenly shy reporter. "I... well… that was… wow." Was all Piper managed to get out.

"Thank you Piper. You saved my life." Dogmeat barked, obviously wanting recognition. Ash crouched down and began to pet him. "You too boy. Thank you."

"Yeah he should be the one that you thank. He thought of the whole plan." Piper said.

"Oh really? You're even smarter than I thought." Dogmeat barked happily.

"So Blue, what's next for ya?"

"I don't know. That kiss was so good, I might just have to get myself into another life threatening situation." Ash said with a sly smile.

Piper blushed and looked down smiling. Looking up she said "Or, you could just ask nicely."

Ash laughed and pulled Piper into another long kiss. "Come on. I'm sure there's a story to be found out here somewhere. Dogmeat barked in agreement. Ash reclaimed her stolen supplies and strapped her laser rifle on her back. Piper found a modified ten millimeter pistol and a holster and strapped it around her waist.

"You ready to go?" Ash extended her hand. As Piper grabbed it, all doubts Ash had in her melted away.

"Yeah. Let's go Blue."

With Dogmeat in tow, they set out together, to see what kind of trouble they could get into next.


End file.
